Why parents should be happy their kid is a catcher

Special invitation: We would like to invite you to join the free catching workshop that is happening right now. Taught by catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who has played in the Major Leagues with the Red Sox, Braves, Orioles & A’s, this workshop will cover stance, framing, pop time and more. Click here for more info on this free, online catching workshop.

——

This is amazing. I just had to share this.

Parents, this is one huge reason you should be happy that your son or daughter is a catcher.

Among the 30 MLB managers at the start of 2008, 40% had played as catchers.

Indeed, the probability that 12 out of 30 are ex-catchers by chance is less than one in 1,000.

What is it about the catcher position that makes it a launching pad for future leaders?

​I found this article about catchers in the Harvard Business Review and I had to share it with you (see the excerpt below).

And it’s entirely developed from the observation that baseball catchers often make incredible leaders.

In short, the The Catcher Hypothesis teaches companies to ask, “How can we create a position in our company that is as good as the baseball catcher position at developing critical leadership skills?”

This idea is being taught in university business schools! CEO’s of major organizations are looking at the position of baseball catcher and saying, “Wow, we need to learn from this.”

If this doesn’t convince you that being a baseball catcher can help to develop key leadership skills in your child, then I don’t know what what will.

Check out what the Harvard Business Review has to say about baseball catchers (below) and then comment if you agree with this post. I would love to hear your story… how have you seen this play out in your own life?

Cheers,

Doug

The Catcher Hypothesis in leadership development

This is an excerpt from the Harvard Business Review’s Making Mobility Matter, originally published here.

——–

“The role of the catcher in professional baseball illustrates the power of a single position to develop leaders.

There are 30 major-league baseball teams operating in North America. Each team has one distinct on-field leader, the field manager. Traditionally, almost all the managers have played baseball professionally.

Among the 30 managers at the start of 2008, a disproportionate number of them – 12, to be specific – had played as catchers.

Considering that on a typical 25-man team only two or three members are catchers, and that catching is only one of nine positions on the baseball field, the fact that 12 out of 30 managers are ex-catchers is no fluke.

Indeed, the probability that 12 out of 30 are ex-catchers by chance is less than one in 1,000.

What is it about the catcher position that makes it a launching pad for future leaders?

Perhaps it is the perspective: Catchers are the only ones who face all their teammates.

They are also always closest to the opponent at the start of the action.

Complementing their unique perspective on the game are the demanding cognitive skills honed by the position, such as the ability to keep track of many things at once (pitch selection, opponents’ base running, teammates’ defensive alignment, and so forth) while making decisions quickly.

The position is instructive in the art of balancing the roles of cheerleader and taskmaster, as when dealing with an underachieving pitcher.

It could be, of course, that players who are destined to become managers gravitate to the catcher position.

True as this may be, we believe that it is no less true that the position itself – far more than any other position – develops the leader.”

About Author

Doug Bernier, founder of Pro Baseball Insider.com, debuted in the Major Leagues in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies, and has played professional baseball for 5 organizations (CO Rockies, NY Yankees, Pirates, MN Twins, & TX Rangers) over the past 16 years. He has Major League time at every infield position, and has played every position on the field professionally except for catcher. Where is he now? After batting .200 in 45 at-bats and fielding .950 during 2017 spring training with the Rangers, Doug was assigned to the Ranger's AAA team the Round Rock Express. You should click to watch this great defensive play by Bernier

2 Comments

As a former pro ball player myself and one who’s managed now in my post-career life, I think one aspect of catchers and good leaders is that before one can effectively manage and lead another, he/she must first effectively manage and lead himself.

Good managers are good self-managers, mainly, their own mindset and emotions.

Secondly, most catchers spend the majority of the time concerned, not about themselves but about another, their pitcher, who he’s helping to stay focused on the task at hand while also keeping the big picture in mind.

Catchers are truly suited to their role when their behavioral and cognitive traits are aligned to the position. does MLB or MiLB use any psychometric assessments to get the most out of the player, by placing him in the right position and on the right team? The NFL uses the Wonderlic Test to measure cognitive speed. What have you come across regarding assessments that are used by teams or by the league?

Why our baseball instruction is free

Our passion is to help baseball players maximize their potential. We hope to keep all or most of the info on PBI free so that everyone can have access to it.

How we keep it free. We support the site through affiliate relationships with baseball retailers. That means if you click on any link on our site that takes you to an online store, they'll give us a small commission on whatever you buy in the next couple weeks. We like this model because it doesn't cost YOU anything extra at all, and it allows us to keep offering much of our content for FREE.

Help us keep it free. So, next time you need to buy something online, we hope you'll click through our website first!

Our Promise. We promise not to ever let commission or anything else sway us from giving a 100% honest reviews of baseball gear. Also, not every product pays us a commission, but if we like it, we still recommend it. Click here to read more

Where to Buy

Our Guide to Online Stores

Below is some info we put together to help you choose which of our affiliates is the best match for you.